Mom LifePreparing for my son’s arrival, I spent a good amount of time learning and preparing to breastfeed. All of it helped immensely when it was “go time.” If it wasn’t for the fruitful breastfeeding knowledge in the back of my mind, I probably would’ve given up and quit.
Because friends, breastfeeding is no joke.
It wasn’t all that natural to me. Between you and me (and now the whole world), it was truly blood, sweat and tears for the first 7 weeks. While I was in the trenches of breastfeeding, I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a mother. We fought through it. We made it. And looking back now, I can say without a doubt that it was so totally worth it.
If you are currently breastfeeding or plan on breastfeeding in the near future, I’ve got your back. If you are struggling, I understand.
Here are 8 tips that benefited me immensely during my first month:
1. Educate yourself.
Like I mentioned above, empowering myself with breastfeeding knowledge before the baby arrived was a huge step. It does not guarantee an easy breastfeeding journey. However, it did offer me the ability to know what to expect and potentially how to fix it.
Read books.
I read two breastfeeding books: So That’s What They’re For!: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide 3rd edition
and Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality, 2nd Edition
(affiliate links).
The first book was all about breastfeeding. Really informative and a very laid back and casual tone throughout the book, which is something I really appreciated.
The second book Heading Home With Your Newborn is from the American Academy of Pediatrics and has a great breastfeeding section in addition to great information on formula, bottles, and everything related to initial care of a newborn. Both my husband and I read it and found it very helpful.
Reading two books gave me enough information and also provided slightly different suggestions and perspectives. I read the information and took what I liked best from each book, and I didn’t worry about the rest.
Take a class.
I was so fortunate to take a class at the Naval Hospital where I delivered my son. The lactation consultant (LLC) was incredibly funny.
Her laidback and real life approach to motherhood and breastfeeding was so refreshing. If the lactation consultant teaching your class also works at the hospital, it is a great opportunity to form a relationship with her before the birth.
I felt incredibly fortunate to have forged a relationship with my LLC before the birth. I felt so much more comfortable talking to her once I started breastfeeding and was experiencing troubles.
2. Aim for a good latch.
Taking the time to achieve a good latch was very tiring and frustrating for me in the beginning. I was so ‘Dolly Pardon’ that I’m not even sure that a good latch was all that possible.
Knowing what I know now though, I was stupid not to give it the time because I paid for it dearly.
And by paid, I mean start to create an open wound. Once I reached that point, even a good latch continued to hurt. I really did try as hard as I could to aim for a good latch, but I was tired and frustrated and my baby was crying. At the time, it seemed easier just to feed him regardless of the latch.
At any rate, I did think reading about it was really helpful, so if you are interested, all the good information about achieving a good latch is described beautifully in So That’s What They’re For!: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide 3rd edition(affiliate link).
3. Keep reasonable expectations.
Breastfeeding is very challenging at times. It does get dramatically easier the longer you do it. Feedings get much shorter, the pain fades, and the whole experience starts to become really enjoyable. Milk supply also starts to level off around the 6-8 week mark, and I think that helps immensely as well.
Before my son was born, I prepared myself for a challenging experience. I heard from friends and family that it wasn’t a perfect process for them. It was actually encouraging to hear those stories, because when things weren’t going so great, I knew I wasn’t a failure. I knew I wasn’t the only one.
My mantra: Manage your expectations, knowing there will be ups and downs throughout your breastfeeding journey.
4. Be encouraged.
If you face challenges, know there are a lot of moms just like you in the same situation. I personally know so many moms that struggled for various reasons during the first several weeks.
I knew a mom that had to pump for two weeks and bottle feed her baby due to allergies. Her baby was allergic to traces of dairy and soy in her breast milk. She had to pump and dump to keep up her supply, while eliminating the foods from her diet. It was so encouraging to learn that she was able to resume breastfeeding.
Another mom I know came home from the hospital, and similar to me was experiencing a lot of pain. She opted to pump and bottle feed for a whole week. She too was able to resume breastfeeding.
While I’m not advocating for you to bottle feed in the early weeks, since there is a reasonable risk that your baby will not willingly return to breastfeeding. It’s important that we all know that if we find ourselves forced into this type of situation, it is still possible to have success.
5. Seek help sooner rather than later.
If you feel like something isn’t going well, getting help right away can prevent a small problem from turning into a big one. Lactation consultants are absolutely amazing. I wouldn’t skip a beat before making an appointment. Even if things are going incredibly well, a lactation can offer you support, encouragement, and validate you are doing things correctly.
For me, the LC checked my latch, offered some great advice, and helped me learn how long to feed my son. She also weighed him to ensure he was growing well. As a new mom, this was so encouraging.
6. Keep water everywhere.
Breastfeeding made me feel as if I was capable of drinking water by the gallon. Keeping water handy throughout the house was a must for me. I made it easily accessible in every area of the house where I might nurse. If I started nursing and got thirsty, it was always there.
7. Keep lots of snacks everywhere.
I was starving during the entire first month of breastfeeding. In addition to meals, I was consuming 2-3 protein bars per day. I’m not usually very big on protein bars and prefer to get protein from meats, beans, eggs, etc., but I was so incredibly hungry that I just wanted something quick and fast to take my hunger away.
8. Set small goals.
I tried to set a goal for the day or the week to encourage success. Keeping goals simple and realistic really helped. It could be something as easy as…
“Today I’m going to work on getting the baby to take a full feeding.”
“Or today I’m going to focus on achieving a good latch.”
Breastfeeding is one of the most awesome things you will ever do with your baby. It is truly such a rewarding experience. Preparing before the birth and keeping an open mind can help you prevail through the first month of breastfeeding. I wish you all the success in the world!
Want more on motherhood?
- Breastfeeding on a Schedule or Routine: Tips for Minding Your Milk Supply
- Weaning From Breastfeeding: When, How and the Emotional Truth
- My All-Time Favorite Breastfeeding Products
- 7 Practical (And Perfect) Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mom
- BEST 1 Year Old Sleep Schedules from Real Mamas
- How to Calm a 1 Year Old Tantrum Down in Minutes
Breastfeeding is really Important for A Mother as well as A Child ! I have noticed that most of Women & new Mothers be face many issue & problems of first experience of Breastfeeding ! This is really good post about Breastfeeding ! I really enjoy while reading & share it with my friends !
Great tips Lauren. I can’t stress enough keeping up with it, even when you feel like giving up because breastfeeding is always better than bottle feeding.
It can be really discouraging in the beginning, and I think it important to know that if you push through the tough part, it really does get so much easier. Have a wonderful day!
Lauren
Great tips! I totally agree with you. It was really a shock for me just how difficult breastfeeding was in the beginning. My mom breastfed all of us and she made it look so easy! I agree with you on educating yourself beforehand. I never read any books or anything, but I did schedule a lactation consultant to come out to the house the day I came home from the hospital. It’s definitely better to get help early rather than later. I also loved going to breastfeeding support groups. I went every Wednesday in the beginning. It was also great to get out of the house! I would add you should have a good support system. It was so helpful to have my mom be so supportive and give great advice. Sometimes you can feel a bit isolated with breastfeeding since you are the only one who can do it. It’s nice to have support!
Breastfeeding groups are wonderful. I know several moms who’ve attended groups, and say they made all the difference in the world! My aunt came about a week after Jameson was born and she too really struggled with breastfeeding my cousins. It was encouraging to have that support right away. I agree it can be a bit isolating when things aren’t going well. Thanks for visiting! It’s been great having you around here, Tricia, and I am really enjoying your blog.
Lauren
This is so crazy! I am a Navy wife, a new mom, & my son’s name is Jameson!!!
Ooooh, that’s amazing! Alexandra, it’s great to have you here! We always loved the name Jameson (traditional, yet not overused). My son is 15 months now and we are plugging along in Okinawa Japan via a military move. Looking forward to learning more about you. I’d love for you to join my email community if you are interested in a weekly update of posts. Have a great day!
I just subscribed! Love a new great blog! We are in San Diego, Ca but my husband is deployed and unfortunately missed the birth so we have the homecoming to look forward to:) Looking forward to learning more about you as well!
Awesome! Really exciting to have you join along in this rapidly growing community. If you ever have any ideas for topics you’d like to see on the blog, feel free to send me a note. I really empathize with you and your family being apart during the birth. It’s something very few people in the civilian world understand. One of my good friends just had a baby sans husband. You are incredibly strong for doing that. Military wives are stronger than anyone I know.
Lauren
I feel so out of place here; having not personally experienced the pleasure or pain of breast feeding. There’s only one thing that I would really want to add, because I am a guy who just happens to be a father.. women, get some bottles and store some of the breast milk. I can say that I did enjoy holding the baby and feeding them, so you women can’t take all the *fun* in that respect. Please for us daddy’s who just wanna help?
Frank, you are awesome. Coming over to a mom blog about breastfeeding and such. Not many guys would do that, which is exactly why I am following you and Ana because you both are two of the blogging good ones. I love what you are saying here. Yes, fathers and dads can help with breastfeeding in so many ways. I actually pumped and bottle fed once a day and my husband got to enjoy that special time with our son. Perhaps a post about dads helping with breastfeeding would be in order?
Lauren
Lauren,
These are excellent tips. One thing that completely saved my life as a new nurser was Dr. Sears’ “lower lip flip” technique. Pushing down on the baby’s chin made it super easy to get the baby’s mouth in the right position.
BTW, you got a shoutout for your amazing images in my latest post at the Mommy Blogger Academy!
Way to be rad!
BB
That’s a great tip! My LC always told me to feed my baby a hamburger and not a hotdog (i.e. breast shape), ha ha. Lowing the chin helps immensely. And thanks for your amazing tips as always! You are a pro 🙂
Lauren
Hi. I don’t have children but my Mother was an early champion of La Leche League. From her and in my medical training, I have learned how important breastfeeding is but also that at times it can be a very frustrating experience (especially at first). But so worth the effort. Thanks for this educational and encouraging post!
Thanks for stopping by Amy! La Leche League is a great resource for breastfeeding moms.
Lauren,
Thank you for getting real with breastfeeding because it DOESN’T always come naturally. It’s amazing what we will go through to make it work though, isn’t it? Literally, the bleeding, the hot sweats over the fear of infection, on and on and on it goes. I love your resources you provided and I couldn’t agree more to research, research, research! Once you get the latch, you got it but then you have to work at keeping it. It’s a never ending cycle and then in the end you miss it after weaning. Motherhood! Good job on a great post!
Yes, Katie lets get REAL with breastfeeding. I love it. I was even prepared for the idea that it wouldn’t be smooth sailing. Still hard. It was sad when I stopped breastfeeding. I was like, am I really doing this? Because once you stop there is no turning back. Challenges breastfeeding and HG, you are one strong mama! I give you all the credit in the world, Katie!
Lauren
Nice article! I was able to breastfeed all four of ours till they were one, which I am very thankful for. But each kid was different and brought about different trials and pains! Ouch 🙂 Thanks for being encouraging to new moms! #ibabloggers
I am preparing myself for the future. I read from many moms that it isn’t any easier the second time around. True?
That water tip is spot on. It seems so obvious now but when I was breastfeeding my twins it took my OB to tell me that I needed to drink a LOT of water if I wanted to make a lot of milk! LOL
Yes, oh my goodness Kate, I drank so much water. It always seemed like it was never enough, ha. I agree drinking and eating generously helps immensely with supply and overall mom’s energy level too.
Lauren